HGC Introduces New Board Members and Representatives at October Meeting

The Harvard Graduate Council introduced its executive board members and committees during its second meeting of the fall semester at the Harvard Graduate School of Design on Monday.

The meeting opened with a roll call of representatives from Harvard’s 12 graduate schools. HGC President Dalton Fogarty reiterated the Council’s mission and responsibilities, and each member of the HGC executive board stood up to introduce themselves.

“Our unique mission is this ‘One Harvard’ concept,” Fogarty said. “Something that only we do is bring each other’s schools together.”

Fogarty also highlighted upcoming HGC social events, including GradFest and an event for the Harvard-Yale football game.

“We’ve been around since 2004, and we’ve had amazing, amazing success. We had a masquerade ball previously, which 2,000 people attended,” Fogarty said.

When Fogarty encouraged members to avoid using electronic devices, one attendee asked how they could take notes during the meeting.

“I have a scribe,” Fogarty said. “Right now it is my lovely fiancée in the back.”

During the meeting, Brad Canales, vice president of the HGC and a Harvard Extension School student, invited each executive board member to introduce the committees they serve on, share current projects, and encourage members to sign up to join them.

The HGC also shared their current financial status, which included more than $21,000 in the checking account and $8,000 in savings.

Ethan McKenzie, a representative for Harvard Law School, said HGC’s legal aid program motivated his involvement and belief in the council. The initiative was discontinued over the summer, after the Office of the Provost declined to continue funding the program.

“Although it had an unfortunate conclusion, I think that it made such a prompt impact that one school unilaterally couldn't have done it,” McKenzie said. “It took the force of the grad council to make that impact.”

After introductions, Fogarty opened the floor for discussion.

GSD representatives presented a potential collaboration between the HGC and the GSD’s weekly “Beer’n’Dogs” social.

“We were critical at first when big groups of the schools would come and take beer and then drink it in their own circles,” said Johnathan Caron, a GSD representative.

Representatives discussed the possibility of expanding access to facilities across the 12 graduate schools, and creating a one-stop platform to consolidate information about social events.

Ari Sarfatis, a GSAS representative, raised concerns about the difficulties of making events publicly visible if some are financed by restricted funds, which can only go towards a specific school.

“We might want to do some preliminary work and advocacy there,” Sarfatis said.

Attendees also expressed a desire to learn more about the HGC’s past resolutions, including one to improve transportation between Longwood and Cambridge.

One attendee asked the Council to update their website with the previous year’s resolutions and minutes.

The meeting ended 40 minutes early. Fogarty promised to give attendees their “time back” after elections in September previously ran late.

—Staff writer Maeve T. Brennan can be reached at maeve.brennan@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @mtbrennan.

—Staff writer Angelina J. Parker can be reached at angelina.parker@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @angelinajparker.